Stronger than a mountain of steel
by me.fergie
Summary: My version of episodes 7.19 and 7.20. Just how I think it could have been if Ryan had not been alone this terrible situation. Ryan OC friendship. Rated T for some graphic violence. I don't own episodes 7.19 and 7.20. COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

Hello everyone. As some of you wished, here is my new story. The method is easy enough to understand. This story is settled around the episodes 7.19 and 7.20. I just took those episodes and added my OC in it, mostly because I was terribly annoyed with the team dynamics on those two episode. Those of you that have read "Watch out for the Wolfes" will know what I mean. The story is not going to be terribly long, nevertheless, I enjoyed writing it. I hated how certain guys on the show treated poor Ryan, and I know lots of you did too, so I hope my OC can give those of you that don't mind OCs a bit of satisfaction, and Ryan a bit of companion ship.

**Disclaimer: I don't own CSI MIAMI, nor Ryan Wolfe or any of the people you know. I don't own the episodes used here, namely 7.19, Target Specific, and 7.20 Wolfe in Sheep's clothing. Nothing belongs to me, I'm just borrowing it for your and my entertainment. **

**The title is taken from the song "All we are" by the band Warlock and their singer Doro. Don't own the song.  
**

* * *

**Chapter One**

It was a fantastic morning when Ryan arrived at the crime scene. He breathed in. The air was so cool and fresh. They were far away from the tropical climate that would hit Miami in the late afternoon, and Ryan was thankful for it. He walked over to the house when he suddenly heard terribly loud music…

"_Wish I could shut my playboy mouth, ohohohoh, how'd I turn my shirt inside out? Control your poison, babe, roses have thorns they say…."(1)_

He grinned; loud, earth shaking music at that time of the day could only mean one thing… And at that precise moment the silver Merc turned around the corner, tyres screeching. It parked half an inch away from his Hummer. And out got Nicole Ferguson. She smiled when she saw Ryan:

"Oh, thank God it's you. I was afraid it might be Delko or something…"

"Morning, Nicole. Why are you afraid of Delko?"

Nicole took her sunglasses off, "He saw me out with Travers a few nights ago, and I don't hear the end of it…"

"Travers? You call your boyfriend by his last name?"

Nicole frowned, "He's not my boyfriend. We're just… hanging around…"

"Does he know you're just hanging around?" Ryan asked while both of them walked to the crime scene.

Nicole sighed, "It's hard, you know. I really like him, and damn, I even like listening to him when he talks about… heck, I don't even know, trace stuff I guess, because I like him so much. But there's just this barrier in my head that tells me, 'Don't date him'. I don't know what it is…"

"It's called female intuition."

"Alright, and you believe in that crap? If we have such a thing as female intuition, we wouldn't fall for all the jerks around. You're a scientist, mate, you're not supposed to believe in either intuition or horoscopes…."

Ryan laughed, "I don't believe in horoscopes, but I do believe that women have a special ability to feel things that men cannot…"

"Well, I don't have it. I think intuition should come together with tactfulness. And I don't have it."

Ryan smiled, "You're not that bad, Nicole. How is Lord Byron, by the way?" Lord Byron was the cat they had met on their last case together.

Nicole grinned, "I never thought anyone on earth would say the following sentence, but I think Lord Byron has a thing for Kate Moss." Kate Moss was Nicole's Maine Coon. "He's always meowing to her when she sits on the couch, but wouldn't jump on it and sit down next to her to save his life. And of course, she's acting all cool, all maneater…"

"So even cats play this game?"

"What game?"

"Well, Kate Moss shows no interest just to get Lord Byron. That's what you girls do all the time…"

"Yes, but if cats were like us, Lord Byron would go and sleep with all possible cats just to get Kate Moss jealous." Nicole grinned, "Only that Kate Moss wouldn't get jealous but only think he's a jerk and go to have some fun with her toy mouse…" Suddenly, she laughed, "Can you imagine what crap we're talking about?"

Ryan smiled too, "Seriously. Two grown up people…." He opened the door of the house to her. "But well, I found out long ago that you cannot impress girls with shop talk… They tend to feel rather uncomfortable when you mention dead bodies while she's eating a steak…"

"I always thought girls nowadays would settle with the side salad… Anyways. Tripp called me, he said the victim was still alive?"

"Yah. She was stabbed, but it wasn't fatal…" They walked through the house.

Nicole frowned, "Then I wonder what I'm doing here?"

"You're a cop; you supposed to help out when a suspect is on location. But since Tripp has cleared the scene, I suppose you're only here because you were too late for the fun business and forgot to turn police radio on…"

"That might be the case. But since I'm here now, I can as well watch you and H.'s ass. Call me when there's a problem. I'll be in here appreciating the décor…" Nicole was already fascinated by the kitchen.

"You do that…" Ryan grinned and followed the blood trail that lead to the garden. His eyes immediately noticed the shiny object lying in the grass. That could be his murder weapon. He walked over to it, when he suddenly heard lout barking. As he turned around he saw a German Shepherd- running towards him, teeth bared. Ryan screamed out loud and ran so that he was out of the dog's reach, "Nonononono!!!!"

"Miami Dade Police!!!!!!!!! Put your hands where I can see them!!!!!!!!" Nicole stormed out the back door into the yard, gun drawn. When she saw that the suspect on location was actually a dog, she lowered her gun. And turned to Ryan. "Did you just scream like this because there was a dog?"

"It wanted to bite me."

"Are you kidding me? You almost gave me a heart attack!"

"Didn't you hear the dog barking?"

"I heard you screaming and didn't pay attention anymore. There's his chewy toy. Give it to him, and he won't hurt you…" She shook her head. "I'm gonna need one hell of a valium stash to get that heart to calm down again…" She walked back into the house while Ryan reached for his cell phone to call animal control.

---

Later that evening, Ryan decided to call it a day after having paid a visit to one of the suspects they had met on the case. He saw Nicole outside, sitting on a bench and having a smoke. He sat down next to her, "You're not home already?"

"Just having a final smoke before I get home. I don't smoke around the… pets." She grinned.

"You would be a terrific mother… So, any plans with Travers tonight?"

"Yeah. We'll go to an Irish pub."

"That's cool."

"And you, any plans?"

Ryan shook his head, "No. I just prolly hang around at my flat all night long…"

"You can join us, if you want."

Ryan grinned, "No, thanks very much, I don't wanna disturb the love birds…"

"Oh, you don't disturb me…"

"Thanks, Nicole, but I'm feeling a bit tired. I got almost ripped to pieces by a dog this morning. Adrenaline is wearing off. I'm just going to pay a visit to the photographer…"

"The one that took the pictures of the team?" Ryan frowned; how did she know that again? "Yes, okay, I may or may not have been visiting Travers or Valera in the HQ when I saw you going over the pictures with Delko. Is it the Russians again?"

"Yes. And the photographer is working for them. I can tell you, I'm slightly getting pissed off by those guys. They know too much about the team for my taste."

Nicole nodded, "They really seem to. What are you gonna ask the photographer?"

"I want a name."

"You need any help?"

Ryan smiled, "Sweet of you, but you just go and get home and have a nice evening with Travers. I'm fine."

Nicole put her cigarette out, "Okay, fine with me. If there's any trouble, you can still call me. But maybe not after 8 PM, because I might be seriously bladdered by then…" She grinned.

"Alright…"

---

After having said good bye to Nicole, Ryan proceeded to drive over to their photographer. He was way more nervous than he had admitted in front of Nicole. The Russians seemed to know one hell of a lot about the team. And Ryan didn't like it. There had been so many pictures of the team on Cameron West's camera, and Ryan was sure that those pictures weren't the only ones out there. They had shown the team on and off duty. And Ryan knew exactly when the picture of him had been taken. When he had said good bye to Mark and Billy. His sponsor and the kid. Ryan was very fond of children on the whole, but Billy was special to him. The kid had a spirit Ryan had never had, and he was just soooo cute. And he didn't have an easy life, with his father being in trouble with the Russians too. Well, at least both were out of the Russians' reach now. That was one good thing. He grabbed his cell phone and had a quick conversation wit Delko, telling him that he was on his way to the photographer. He hadn't even hung up the phone properly when his car started acting weird. He sighed and pulled over. When he got out, he saw he had a flat. _Great. Just great. Exactly what's the purpose of a Hummer if it can't drive with a flat? _He got down on his knees to get a closer look at the tyre. Well, he could change it…. He sighed, got up and reached for his cell phone. He hated it to disturb Nicole, but they couldn't afford it to lose even more time. But it was only Nicole's mailbox answering, _Hello everyone, you've reached the voicemail of Nicole Ferguson. I'm dancing Nor Par, so I cannot pick up the phone right now. Please leave a message, I'm calling back. _Ryan shook his head, but left a message, "Hey Nicole, it's Ryan. I have no idea what Nor Par is, but anyways. Listen, call me back when you hear this." He hung up. So much for he could call her when in trouble! He gave the tyre a desperate kick and knelt down next to it. His mind registered there was a white van pulling up next to him, and a man getting out, but he was too focused on the tyre. Only when he heard a voice asking _Can I help you_, his alarm rang…. That accent… He turned around, saw the blow, and then everything went dark….

----

Nicole got out of the shower. While she styled her hair, her Motorola gave a soft beep. Nicole frowned; how come she hadn't heard her ringtone? She picked the phone up and listened to her voicemail. She rolled her eyes. So much for he can handle trouble alone. She called back, but only Ryan's voicemail answered. Nicole frowned before she left a message, "Ryan, it's Nicole. Nor Par is a dance, I think. Why do you tell me to call you and you don't pick up? Pick up. Come on, pick up. Pick up! Come on…." She hung up. A few minutes later, she called again. Again, no answer. She threw the cell phone onto the nearest desk and started putting some make up on when it started ringing again. She picked up, "I'm putting liquid eyeliner on just now, so I hope this is important!"

"Ah, getting all pimped up for a night out with Travers?"

Nicole rolled her eyes, "Eric. What do you want?"

"Oh, just wanted to call and ask if you're hanging around with Ryan?"

Nicole cursed and put the eyeliner down, "Great, now I have black eyeliner all over my cheek. Idiot. Why would I be hanging around with Ryan?"

"Because I was trying to get hold of him but he doesn't answer. And I saw you two together before you left; I thought he might be joining you and Travers tonight?"

"No, I asked him but he said no, he just wanted to go home and rest after having talked to the paparazzo there…"

"Ah, okay, then he has prolly switched his celly off…."

"What? He would never turn his mobile off…"

"Come on, Nicole, even he's not perfect…. Well anyways, enjoy your evening with Michael. I see you tomorrow…" The line went dead.

Nicole frowned. She looked into the mirror. _That really doesn't sound like Ryan…_ Her fingers automatically dialled Ryan's number again. She still reached only his voicemail. She thought for a second, then left a message. "Ryan, it's Nicole. I'm worried. Please call me back as soon as you hear this. No matter when." She put the phone on the sink and proceeded with her make up. But her hand wouldn't stop trembling. She sighed, put the liquid eyeliner back into her purse and went to the living room. Her Rottweiler Frankie and her two cats, Kate Moss and Lord Byron, were all sitting next to the couch, Frankie sleeping soundly. Nicole sat down on the couch, and Kate Moss immediately jumped on her lap. Nicole smiled, "Katie, my dear, how have you been? Been showing the cold shoulder to Lord Byron again?" She reached her hand out and caressed the cat's neck. "I know, sweetie, I know. Listen guys, I'm gonna be away tonight, seeing Travers. You think you can stay here without me?" Kate Moss meowed, but Lord Byron just looked at her with his big green eyes. "You can stay alone here, Lord Byron. Come on, you gotta be the man of the house tonight." But Lord Byron just looked at her. "Okay, what's the matter? Why are you looking at me like this?" He continued. "Okay, okay, I know, I don't feel to good about this either. But what am I supposed to do?" Lord Byron turned away from her and jumped on Frankie's back. The dog raised her head and looked at Nicole. Nicole frowned, "Oh yeah, you pair up with him…. Okay, okay. If you want it all so badly!" She picked up the phone and made a call.

"Michael Travers?"

"Mikey, it's Nicole. Listen, errr… this Irish pub thing… could we do that next week?"

"Sure…. What's up, aren't you feeling alright?" He seemed concerned.

"Oh, I'm alright thanks; I just don't feel like going out tonight…."

"Would you like to come over to my place? We could cook something."

"That's sweet, but I… I just wanna go out with the dog and relax for the rest of the evening…"

"Okay, Nicole. If you need anything, don't hesitate to call me."

"Thanks, Mikey. Bye bye."

"Sleep well, Nicole." Travers hung up.

Nicole dialled Ryan's number again. No answer. She put the phone into her pocket, gently lifted Kate Moss from her lap and put her on a cushion, sat down next to Frankie and caressed the dog behind the ear. "Come on, lady, let's go for a walk…."

* * *

**Like it? Hate it? Reviews are much appreciated **

(1) Lady Gaga - Just dance**  
**


	2. Chapter 2

Hey, thanks very much for all your kinds reviews and for adding this story to all your lists. I hope the rest of the story is not gonna disappoint you.... Before I forget, when Ryan is mentioning his father later on, this is a direct reference to my story "He still stands inspite of what his scars say". But I don't think you'll have trouble understanding it even if you have not not read that story. Please enjoy.

**Disclaimer: I only own Nicole Ferguson and her doggy, and Amy. The case as well as Ryan Wolfe belong to CBS and the writers of CSI Miami.**

* * *

**Chapter Two **

Ryan woke up. Around him, everything was dark. Even though his eyes were adjusted to the darkness, he couldn't see anything. And his head hurt. Damn… He tried to touch his head with his hand, but it didn't work. Then he noticed he was sitting upright. On a chair. Not on his couch, but on a chair. And he couldn't move his hands. What the…. And then, everything came back in a flash. The pictures. The flat tyre. The man who had walked up on him. The accent. The beat. The darkness. And now he was sitting on a chair, still in complete darkness. And unable to move both his hands. And with his head aching. He closed his eyes and concentrated on his body, trying to find out what else was wrong with it. His hands were bound to both sides of the chair. His feet were bound together. He tried to move, but found out that he couldn't. Something around his upper torso tied him to the chair. Damn… He was in trouble. _Okay, Ryan. Don't freak out. Keep cool. There must be a way out. Just breathe…._ He took a deep breath to calm his beating heart down, but he noticed that wasn't easy… Not only because his heart was beating that fast, but because something kept him from breathing in. He noticed there was something around his neck. A wire of some sort, or a lace perhaps… He closed his eyes. Now he knew one thing for sure: He was in the hands of the Russian mob. _Just great…._ He remembered the body of Nathan Madden, the victim from the first case that had involved the Russians. His own mother would have had trouble to recognize the bloodied face and the bruised body. Ryan had no illusions. Whatever the Russians wanted from him, he wouldn't give it to them. Well, he hoped he wouldn't. He hoped he would be able to remain strong. But he knew what those guys were able to do. He knew that whatever they wanted from him, they would not stop until they had it. And if he didn't give it to them, they would kill him. After having hurt him. Probably more then he was able to imagine. He took another breath, a shallow one. And then he heard it. His cell phone. It was lying on a table not far from where he was sitting. He didn't know who it was that called, but his best bet was Nicole. He remembered having left a message on her mail box. He would have preferred Delko calling. While he and Nicole got on well, and while he had a reputation of a meticulous cop, which everybody knew, Delko would perhaps be more suspicious than Nicole. Well, it didn't matter anyhow. He was sure the Russians had covered their traces when they kidnapped him. God knew where the Hummer was. If anybody found that abandoned Hummer, somebody would notice something was wrong. The street where he had parked the Hummer was quite busy, chances were big that some patrol would eventually pass it and get out to check. But then he shook his head, the lace around his neck hurting him. It was useless. He was sure they hadn't left the Hummer on the street. Nobody would notice anything if not for his not answering the phone calls. He closed his eyes. He hoped Delko would notice. All his hope was now on the team… _Please, let them find me before I tell the Russians anything…_ But then, he heard a door open. His heart skipped a beat, but then he took another deep breath and prepared himself for what would come….

---

"Okay, Frankie. This is the door to Ryan's flat. You've met Ryan. He's the one that is afraid of dogs, even though he would never admit. Anyways. I want you to listen, and tell me if anything's wrong in there…." Nicole sat with Frankie in front of Ryan's apartment. The dog sat there, not moving. She sighed, "Okay, so nothing's wrong… You would notice if something was wrong, right? I'm prolly just being paranoid. That happens when you hang around with CSIs too much, you get paranoid and don't wanna use public toilets or hotelrooms anymore…." But it didn't calm her down. She felt something was wrong.

"Hello." Nicole turned around. A young girl, around the age of seven had gotten out of the flat next to Ryan's. "Are you looking for Ryan?"

Nicole smiled, "Hello there. My name is Nicole; I work with Ryan. Has he gotten home today?"

"No, I haven't seen him... That's a nice doggy." She looked at Nicole with big blue eyes.

Nicole caressed Frankie's head, "A really nice one. Her name is Frankie. Frankie, this is…"

"Amy. Hello Frankie." She cautiously walked to the dog and reached her hand out. Frankie did the same with her paw. "You are beautiful." Then she looked at Nicole. "Are you Ryan's girlfriend?"

"No, no… Dear, no. I work with him. You don't know by any chance if he was here today?"

"This morning he was… but he didn't come home after work. Is he in trouble?"

But Nicole shook her head. "No, no, don't worry, sweetie. It's gonna be alright. You want a cookie?"

"I'm not supposed to take anything from strangers… My parents wouldn't like it at all that I talk to you…"

"Well, they are right. You shouldn't talk to people. But since I am a cop, just tell them I showed you my badge and you'll be fine."

"Okay. And you must be nice if you work with Ryan." She caressed Frankie's head. "You think I could walk her?"

"I doubt it, sweetie. She's much too big for you. But I tell you something. On my next day off, you and I go walk her together, is that alright?"

"Okay." Amy nodded.

"Great." She handed Amy her card. "There's one more thing. You promise me not to open the door when you see anybody in front of Ryan's apartment that you don't know. Instead, you call me, alright? Anytime."

Amy took the card. "Okay. I always wanted to play detective. I'm reading a lot of Enid Blyton."

"Yeah, I did too…" Nicole smiled. "Okay, Amy, I gotta go now. You call me when anybody weird comes here, alright? And don't open the door to anybody."

"I will. Bye Nicole, bye Frankie." She patted the dog's head and went back into the flat.

Nicole waited until she was in and then got outside. So Ryan hadn't come home. Maybe he was out for a beer and had turned his cell off. The only possibility to find that out was to either check every pub and club in Miami, or to just wait here. She shrugged. Ryan was a strong guy; he could take care of himself…. And then, her cell phone rang. She picked up, "Ferguson?"

But it was only Delko, "Nic, have you found Ryan?"

"Nope. Have you?"

"Would I have asked you if I did? Honestly, Travers confuses you too much for my taste. Anyways, I'm going home now. I see you around. And if you see Ryan, tell him to call us." He hung up.

Nicole sat down on the stairs outside and lit up a cigarette. "Frankie, I don't get this. Am I just exaggerating? I mean, it's not like cops always pick up their phones. And even he deserves some free time…" Frankie just nudged her and whimpered. Nicole smiled, "Yeah, I know, baby. Come on, let's go for a long and nice walk. Maybe all around the city. What do you think?" Frankie barked. "That's my girl. I just wish I had something from him I could let you sniff at. Maybe we would find him…" She looked at her cell and dialled Ryan's number again.

----

Ryan gasped for air. Before his captor had spoken any word, before Ryan had even got to see him properly, the guy had cut his air off by pulling at the thing around his neck. Ryan had already seen some black spots before the guy had let go. Now he walked over to the table. He had switched some lights on earler, so Ryan could now see where he was. And it didn't make him any happy. It looked like an abandoned warehouse. And Ryan knew nobody would hear him here if he screamed. And he was sure now that he would scream. They didn't bring him in just to ask a few questions. If he wouldn't answer, and he was determined he wouldn't, they would make him scream.

The guy leaned against the table and looked at Ryan, "Mr Wolfe… Glad you were able to join us here." He had a Russian accent.

Now Ryan knew for sure who he was up against. "What do you want?"

"Just a little help from you…"

Ryan had to grin despite this hopeless situation. This was the second time somebody asked him for help. First Michael Lipton, now the Russians. He had refused the first time; he would refuse now. "I will not help you."

The Russian nodded a bit, then he moved back behind Ryan's chair and pulled on the cord again. Ryan gasped desperately for air, but to no avail. Only when he was almost fainting the guy let go again. Ryan coughed violently. The Russian leaned forward so that he was close to Ryan's ear when he said, "Believe me, this is only the beginning…" He pulled on the cord, only a bit this time, but it was enough to make breathing difficult for Ryan. "I've brought down stronger men than you. You will do what we want…"

"Never…" Ryan's voice was starting to get a bit hoarse. The Russian walked back to the table, but it took Ryan a bit to realize why. His phone was ringing again. The Russian apparently declined the call. He just opened his mouth to say something when the phone rang again. The Russian looked a bit at it, then declined the call again. He turned to Ryan again. "_This is not a negotiation…_"

Ryan had turned his head away from the Russian. His heart was beating so much that it almost hurt. God, he was scared… He didn't know who had called but he was hoping somebody would notice he was missing. He didn't know how long he could keep this up. It was so much harder than what his father had always told him. His father, the honourable soldier… He had always, back when he had wanted Ryan to be a soldier, told him that if ever he got into the captivity of his enemy, he had to be strong. When Ryan had decided on becoming a cop, he had thought this risk wasn't there anymore. How wrong he had been! And now, he was sitting here, unable to do anything to defend himself, but entirely at the mercy of this man. And he knew, the only thing that could save him now was cooperation. _Oh God, they will kill me… _He looked away from the Russian, trying to pick up the courage to look into his captor's eyes. He heard the Russian's voice, telling him that they would take something away each time he refused to cooperate. His breathing became more erratic, not only because of the lace around his neck. He was so afraid… But there was no way out. And Ryan decided for himself that, no matter what they would do to him, he would never ever give them the feeling they'd won. He might not take it as quiet and dignified as his father would want him to. But in the end, the only thing that mattered was that he would take it. So he slightly raised his head and looked the Russian in the eye. Though his entire body was shaking and rocking back and forth in the chair, his voice was steady, as was his look.

"_I'm not gonna tell you anything… so you can go the hell_." And then, he smiled. He didn't want to leave this world crying, shaking, screaming. If he had to leave, it would be with his head held up high for as long as he could, despite any pain and suffering. But when the Russian's first punch landed in his face, with its sheer force almost knocking the chair over, sending a wave of pain through him, he knew it would be harder than anything he had gone through before…

---

Nicole froze on the spot, almost knocked over by Frankie who, following her, didn't react fast enough to stop and as a consequence bumped into Nicole's legs. She barked. Nicole patted her head, "It's okay, Frankie, sorry." She looked at her cell phone. Her call had been declined. Well, she knew one thing now. Ryan hadn't had a deadly accident, because if, how had he been able to push the red button? That was good, because Nicole had actually been afraid he might have hit something too hard for a Hummer…. Damn that guy's driving style… But well, obviously he was well enough to push the buttons on his phone… Or, was he? Nicole had to admit that she liked this declining her call even less than his not picking up at all. It was so not Ryan. Her finger hovered over the re-dial key, but she decided to not. If Ryan was busy, she didn't want to disturb him. And if something was wrong, she didn't want to cause more trouble. "Come on, Frankie. Let's go for a walk. Time to cool down. Let's go to the docks."

* * *

**Poor Ryan... **


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks for all your reviews. I'm so glad you like this story... **

Disclaimer: See Chapters before

* * *

**Chapter 3**

When Ryan woke up, he was lying on a street in the hot Miami sun. It took him a while to wake up fully. But then everything came back to him. He closed his eyes for a few seconds, then tried to get up. His hands automatically reached for the brown paper bag that was lying next to him. He opened it. Inside were his gun, his batch and his cell phone… His cell phone. He checked it. 28 unanswered calls. He flipped through the list. Eric Delko, Nicole Ferguson, Nicole Ferguson, Nicole Ferguson, Eric Delko, Nicole Ferguson…. 26 calls by Nicole…. He would have to explain that, but right now, he had other things to do. He took a deep breath, trying to ignore the sharp pain all over and inside his body and walked home.

--

He arrived there about almost an hour later. He had to take a few breaks because the pain wouldn't let him walk on. But finally, he had reached his front door. He didn't know that there was somebody looking at him when he entered his flat. He was just too focused on not hitting something and on not passing out in the middle of the floor. When he arrived in his bathroom and looked in his mirror, he had to take a deep breath to stop himself from throwing up. His shirt was bloodstained. The lace around his neck had left marks. And his face… He shook his head. And that wasn't even the worst part. The worst part was that he had given up. Not for his own sake. But for the sake of Billy Gantry. His sponsor's son. The moment they had brought his name in, his whole strength had left him. He had tried to convince them, and in the process convince himself that the Russians would never find him. But the Russian had pretty fast convinced him that they would. Ryan didn't know how they had managed, but he didn't want to risk anything. So he had told them he would do what ever they wanted. He took a deep breath again. He had to get control over this. As fast as possible. Before anybody got hurt. Well, anybody else than Ryan Wolfe. He sighed when he suddenly heard loud music in front of his window. God damn it, it was early morning. What bastard was playing Christina Aguilera at that volume at 8 a.m.? _Oh Lord have mercy on my soul, for I have walked a sinful road_" (1). He shook his head. Christina had no idea… He splashed some water into his face. Then he walked over to the kitchen, grabbed the salt and walked back to the bathroom. Hopefully, the missing tooth would not mean an infection, because he was pretty sure that Russian guy hadn't bothered to properly clean his pliers… He closed his eyes. The pain when this guy had yanked his tooth out had been more terrible than anything else. Besides the sheer thought that Billy could be hurt. He could still hear the Russian's voice saying _Everything I did to you, I could do to him_… Please Lord, no…. He poured some salt into a bit of water and just wanted to take a sip of it to disinfect the wound in his mouth when he heard a violent knocking at his front door. The fear came back immediately. What if the guy had decided he needed still a bit more convincing? What if they had decided he wasn't worth it and would kill him now? He swallowed.

But then he heard the voice. "Open the god damn door immediately, or I'm going to blow it down!"

Ryan walked over to the door, not opening it, but only asking, "Nicole?"

"Yes, it's me, now open that door!"

"I'm naked. What do you want?"

"I don't give a damn about you being naked or not!!!!!! Do you know I've been looking for you all night?????? Why the fuck didn't you pick up you phone????? I had to bother little Amy to call me as soon as you arrived, and she called me just now!!!!"

Ryan frowned and looked through the peephole in his door. Indeed, Nicole was still dressed in the same clothes as the day before. Her usually neat hair was carelessly combed and put into a pigtail. He grinned a bit despite the horrible night that lay behind him, "Yeah, I see, you look great. But there was no need for it…"

"Open the door!!!! Your neighbours are already looking at me."

"I don't know why you…."

"Ryan, I'm not kidding, open the door!!!!!!!"

"Nicole, it's alright, okay. Just go home and take a shower, or else you're gonna fall asleep during work. I see you there…."

But she only continued knocking violently, "I can do this for hours and hours, so open the door now."

Ryan leaned against the door. He wanted to open. Not only because Nicole's knocking was giving him headaches, but because he didn't want to be alone. He knew nobody from the team could help him, or would help him, for that matter. He felt alone. Once again. He had felt alone a couple of times since joining the crime lab. The last time when he had been fired. And there, Nicole had been there. But this was different. He had to be alone. Any person he would confide in was in danger. But damn it, he was only human. And he knew that he needed to confide in somebody. Like when he had confide in Ron after his father had thrown him out. Well, not really. There were still some things about that night he hadn't even told Ron. Not the parts where his father had beaten him. That was nothing he was ashamed of. But he hadn't told Ron what his father had forced him to do. And he didn't tell Ron, and he never would tell Ron or anybody that his father had even spit on him. That was one thing he would take with him into his grave. And, if it were any possible, he would take everything the Russian had done to him to his grave as well. But he knew he couldn't. His hand started moving to the door knob. He wanted help. He knew he was risking Nicole's life, and he wished he was stronger than this. But all his walls were down now. He was vulnerable. He knew he would regret it at some point that he brought Nicole in this situation, but right now, he just needed help… He opened the door.

Nicole pushed it open, "And there I thought I would end this morning with a broken hand from all that knocking…" She walked in – and froze on the spot. Her hand moved to the door, closed it. When it was shut, she just asked, "What did they do to you?" No questions about who did it, no hysterical shouting. Ryan didn't have to calm her down, which he would have not been able to do. She was as calm as could be.

Ryan swallowed, "The Russians. Ivan Sarnoff's people…. Nicole, I'm sorry…"

"Don't talk such rubbish. Shall I call a doctor?"

"No, no…" He leaned against the door. "They… Nicole, I don't know what to do."

"Wait. Wait. You go and patch yourself up. If you need any help, call me. I'm going to pour some coffee. Or tea. I think I could use a tea now…"

Ryan nodded and walked over to the bathroom. At the door, he stopped again, "You know, you could also just go home. It's still time. You could just go and forget what you've seen."

"And leave a friend alone? Yeah, right. Where is your coffee?"

Ryan watched her for a few seconds rummaging through his perfectly organized kitchen which she would probably turn upside down, then locked himself up in the bathroom.

---

He got out half an hour later, after he had checked a few times in the mirror if he looked like a human being again. Nicole sat at his table, a cup of coffee in her hand, the morning paper in the other. She looked up from it when she heard him. After a few seconds she said, "You could actually get away with it… I mean, except for the cut on your lip… and the missing tooth…. and the marks around your neck…"

"So practically, they gonna suspect something as soon as they see me… And you, for that matter…."

"What about me?"

Ryan poured himself a cup of coffee, "Actually, you don't really look much better than me. Bags under your eyes, your hair is a mess, and your clothes look as if Frankie had dragged you along the beach and through the woods…."

Nicole looked down at herself and the mud on her shirt and skirt. "Well, actually she did. Every time I tried to call you, she dragged me and I fell."

"You can use my shower if you want…"

"Later. Now tell me, what are they asking and what are we gonna do?"

Ryan hesitated, "You know, it's still…."

"Cut that crap."

"Okay, okay. Now, in short. The Russians asked me to do anything that needs to be done to set one of their men free. It's gonna happen today. If I don't…" now he closed his eyes. "If I don't help them, they're gonna hurt Billy. Billy Gantry. I have to do it…"

"And there is no way out?"

"I've seen… I've felt what these people are capable of. I don't want Billy to have to go through the same. Nobody, for that matter. I just have to do it…"

Nicole nodded, "Okay. What's the plan?"

"I will be on the scene, hopefully. I will do anything to make their guy go free. And as soon as I know Billy is safe, I'm going to tell Horatio."

Nicole nodded, "And what shall I do?"

"You're not part of this…"

"Yeah, that's what you say. I say different. Tell me how I can help you."

Ryan swallowed. He hadn't expected that. He had expected her screaming and telling him how wrong he was. Not her offering him her help. "You jeopardize your job. Your career. Your freedom…."

"Yeah, I know. What do you want me to do?"

He sighed, "Your choice. Can you find out where the Gantrys are? The… guy said they were back in Miami. And… if you find them, can you watch Billy? From far away? Take care that he doesn't get kidnapped?"

"Sure." She got up. "But before, I'm going to shower. You don't have a spare shirt for me by any chance?"

"Sure…. And Nicole?"

"Yeah?"

He smiled, for the first time since right before the Russian has started to beat the crap out of him, "Thanks. I don't know how I can pay you back…"

She returned the smile, "Don't let them break you." She closed the bathroom door behind her, and a minute later, she stood in the shower singing, "I got my bags packed baby and I'm ready to go, look at my eyes rocksteady…." (2)

---

She got out of the shower half an hour later, only covered in a towel. "Can I have the shirt now?"

Ryan, who had been cleaning the dishes, turned around and dropped the plate he was just holding. "Err…. It's lying on the… bed…. I mean, table…"

Nicole grinned, "I see…"

Ryan had blushed, "Ey, it's just because I wasn't prepared…" Then he smiled a bit, "But well, after almost 14 hours of… well, it's a sight for sore eyes."

"Yeah, but only after 14 hours of torture…"

"I didn't mean it like that…."

She laughed, "I know, I know. Just trying to ease you up a bit…" She grabbed the shirt, and returned to the bathroom. Two minutes later, she got out fully dressed again. "I look as if I were twice my size in this…"

Ryan nodded, "Kinda, yeah. But then again, some people can wear everything. I'm just worried that Travers will notice that you're wearing another guy's shirt…"

"If I don't end up a DB with trace on the shirt, he won't notice. He's a scientist. When I left his shower the first time with only a towel, he was only worried about me catching a cold… Whereas I would have wished he'd just…."

"Are you still trying to ease me up?"

She grinned, "I can see a bit of a smile…"

He nodded, "A bit yeah. If I wasn't so scared…" He bit his lower lip, forgetting the cut on it. It started bleeding right away. "Oh crap!" He reached out for a Kleenex when Nicole made him sit on a chair.

"Let me look at it…" She knelt down before him, but he shied away immediately.

"It's okay… I can do this…"

Nicole looked puzzled, but she didn't push, "Okay. Then I guess I go and find Billy. Wish me luck."

He walked her to the door. "Good luck…" He closed the door behind her and slid down on the floor. He was an idiot. Here she was, offering her help, risking everything, and he wouldn't even let her touch him. He shook his head. He had to apologize, but that had to wait…

--

(1) Christina Aguilera – Mercy on me

(2) All Saints - Rocksteady

* * *

**Like it? Hate it? **


	4. Chapter 4

And a new chapter. Thanks again for all your kind reviews, I really appreciate them. You make my day. I hope you enjoy this, too.

**Disclaimer. See chapters before**

* * *

**Chapter 4**

Ryan did what he had to do. Knowing that Billy was somehow safe under Nicole's watch, he proceeded to look after the case. He cringed with pain and fear every second, but the worst was his bad conscience. And the ever present fear that Nicole might not manage to keep Billy safe, but rather get caught in something and killed in the process. He should have never told her. He would have loved to call her just to make sure she was okay, but he was afraid he might miss a message from the Russians…. So he just held his head down, hid a bullet casing on the scene and helped Delko with his evidence. They had found a piece of a parachute close to the scene, and Valera had managed to get a DNA from it. Delko and Ryan were just about to go interview their suspect when Ryan's cell rang. He gave Delko a cheap excuse and picked up the phone. The Russian… He told him to check his cell phone. Ryan did, but he already knew what he would see. But the way it hit him straight into his heart was much more painful than any of the last night had been. It was a video of Billy. Obviously in the Russian's hands. Asking for his dad. Ryan closed his eyes. The cell in his hand trembled. But he had to calm down. He was just about to interview the suspect, the guy he was supposed to set free. He could under no circumstances break down now… But his hand automatically dialled Nicole's number. If they had gotten Billy, what had happened to Nicole?

But she picked up immediately, "I'm on my way."

"You can turn around and get here. They have him."

"What???? But…."

"They sent me a video. They have him."

"Oh God, Ryan, I'm so sorry…. Can I do something?"

Ryan shook his head, "Not anymore. It's only me now…."

"Yeah, that's what you keep thinking. I'll be at HQ any second." She hung up.

Ryan took another deep breath. Damn that girl. But he couldn't waste any thought on it now. He had to get this suspect free.

----

Nicole arrived just as Ryan was done with the interview. The two looked for a silent corner to talk. Nicole shook her head, "I can't believe I was too late."

"It's okay… No one could know…"

"Did you meet the guy already?"

Ryan nodded, "Yeah. I somehow managed to give him an excuse for his DNA on the crime scene, but I doubt it's gonna be enough…"

"Can I do something to help you?"

Ryan sighed, "Just look away."

"Ryan, I…"

"I know you want to help. But if you look away, you do more than I expected. I don't want you to know anything. What I do is illegal, and I'm gonna get in hell's kitchen for it. You did more than you had to, and I appreciate that. But right now, I would prefer if you just go on with your daily business…"

Nicole looked at him, "I wish I could… But I'm in it too deep already. If you don't want me to know what you're doing, it's okay. But I just cannot let you go through this alone."

"You think I cannot handle it?"

She laughed, but there was nothing funny about it. "I know you can. But you shouldn't."

"I shouldn't have told you in the first place. I'm not only risking my career, but yours too, not to mention an innocent kid's life." He leaned against the wall and closed his eyes. "I don't care about myself, but you and the kid…"

"Forget about me. I did this myself. I could have also just left when I saw you this morning. I didn't. I was looking for you the whole night. Why? Because I knew something was wrong. Because I care. And if nobody else does, I do. And now I'm here, I'm offering you my help, because I am afraid at some point you will break down. I know you're strong, stronger than many other out there, but even you have a breaking point. And I don't want you to reach it. Trust me, Ryan."

There it was. The word _trust_. Ryan wanted to trust her. He sighed, "Keep the others off my back." And then he walked away.

---

Nicole did her best. It was easy enough to distract Eric. A few flirty comments here, a bit of naughty talk there… Calleigh was the main problem. When Ryan had finished processing his shirt he had worn during the torture, and had gotten a result, Marc had called. He had been upset, but Ryan had managed to calm him down. A bit, at least. But Calleigh had unfortunately heard a bit of his conversation, and was worried. She asked him about his tooth and the cut on his lip, but when he told her everything was alright, she didn't ask more. When she had left, he frowned. Apparently, Nicole was the only one who he couldn't brush off at all. She entered shortly after Calleigh left.

"Sorry, but that girl doesn't fall for my immense charm."

"Yeah, but I saw it works well on Delko. How are you gonna explain to Travers? And to Calleigh for that matter?"

She shrugged, "Travers won't notice. He's up to his ears in work. And Calleigh? Come on. Delko is literally kissing the floor on which she walks. What are you doing?"

"Don't you have something to do?" Ryan knew his next step was highly illegal. He was going to fake a print and place it on the evidence. He was going to put the blame on an innocent man. And if Nicole knew, she was accessory to his deed. He gave her a serious look.

And this time, Nicole understood, "Okay. Yeah, I might just go and…. Well, hang around with my sis Valera or… Travers. You call me when you need me."

Ryan gave her a smile, "I will… Thanks, Nicole. For everything."

She smiled back, "You owe me a beer, mate."

"More than one, actually…"

-----

Ryan's plan worked. Calleigh and Delko found the fake print he had placed and interviewed the guy it belonged to. Ryan was horrified with what he had done, but the fear for Billy was stronger than anything else. Every minute of this day, he was thinking of his young friend, hoping the Russian would leave him alone. He knew how scared the kid had to be; he had been scared to death too, and he was older. For a young child, this must be a terrible experience. The only thought in Ryan's head was to save the kid, and then hope he would recover soon.

But in midst of his thinking and trying to keep calm, Nicole entered the lab, "We have a situation!"

Ryan looked at her, "What?"

"Marc Gantry is downstairs at the reception desk. Talking to Horatio. He knows about the boy. Our game is up."

Ryan closed his eyes and had to steady himself, or else he would have sunk to the floor. "Oh no…"

But Nicole didn't even let him think, "Listen Ryan. Don't lose your hope now. This is about a kid, and Horatio loves kids. He's gonna help you."

"He's gonna fire me…"

"Maybe, yeah. But don't worry about that now. Horatio will understand." She gave him a soft smile. "After all, it's not like he has always done everything according to protocol."

Ryan raised his head, "I know. But you know how things work in this lab; H., Cal, Delko… they can do what they want. But I can't. But I don't really care. I'm just… if they find out Horatio knows, what are they gonna do to Billy?"

Nicole shook her head, "As long as they need you, nothing will happen to Billy. For now, you did what they asked. I saw Cal and Delko interviewing the service guard. Their man is free now, but as long as no one is properly arrested, there's still a risk for… what was his name? Colton. They cannot risk losing the one thing that makes you follow their orders."

Ryan doubted her logic, "You think so?"

"Of course. When was I ever wrong?" She sounded so convincing that Ryan finally nodded. "See? And now, let's go and tell Horatio."

"I always hear 'us'. Exactly when will you have enough?"

"Me? Honestly, maybe when I'm six feet under…."

---

The conversation with Horatio was easier then he had thought. Awkward, yes, but still … His boss didn't bite his head off, but on the contrary agreed to help him. Well, mainly to leave Billy to him. Ryan was not really happy about this. He would have preferred people keeping a low profile to avoid bringing Billy in danger. But on the other hand, he was partially happy, because it meant he could concentrate on his task. When he walked back to the lab, he saw Calleigh processing the jacket of the guard. His instincts kicked in immediately; even if Horatio was on it now, he still had to work for the Russians. And before he actually knew it, he was standing at the table, touching the jacket with his bare hands and getting yelled at by Calleigh. He stormed out of the room and bumped into Nicole, who just got out from Trace Lab.

"What's up? Something going wrong?"

Ryan shook his head, "Not really. But before the day is over, one of the two in there is gonna bite my head of for all the rookie mistakes I make today… Travers noticed something about the shirt?"

Nicole laughed, "Not really, no. He asked me if I had put some weight on, though."

"That's nice. You seem to have a really healthy relationship."

"I have no relationship with Travers. We're just…"

"Hanging around, I know…"

"Yeah. And that's what you and I are gonna do now. Hang around a bit. You need a break. How about some tea in the break room?"

"I don't know…" Ryan was reluctant to leave his team mates alone. After all, they could actually still find something that led him back to the Russian…

But Nicole didn't take 'I don't know' for an answer, "Come on. You can't do anything right now. If they bring their guy back in, we'll notice soon enough. And you should seriously drink a bit of camomile tea. They say it's good against infections and tooth ache…" Ryan had almost forgotten his tooth, but she hadn't. "And besides, I'm gonna need one hell of a coffee or I'm gonna fall asleep right here."

"Well, can't risk that, since you're only tired because you were looking for me…"

----

They sat down at the table, Ryan taking a sip from the tea, "Tastes awfully…"

"You're not supposed to drink it; you're supposed to gargle…" Nicole downed her coffee in one go. "That feels better…" Then she looked at Ryan, "When this is over, are you going to tell Delko and Calleigh about… what he did to you?"

Ryan shook his head, "Not if I can help it. I… I don't want anybody to know. Bad enough you know… No offense."

"None taken." She didn't push the subject any further but helped herself to another coffee. While doing this, she saw two police man bringing in a woman. "Was there a hot woman somewhere in your case?"

"The victim's assistant. Why?"

"They might just have brought her in…"

Ryan got up and checked, "Yes, that's her. Wonder what they found out to have her brought in… I better check on this…"

"Yeah, do that. I just have a few more coffees… Your mobile is ringing by the way…" She watched Ryan leave, poured herself another cup of coffee and sat back on the table, watching the fumes coming from the dark liquid. And suddenly, she froze. Dropped the cup and ran out of the break room. She had heard Ryan screaming. She ran to where she had heard him screaming. There he sat, on the floor, motionless, the cell phone in his one hand, with his other hand holding his head. People stood around him, looking, but no one did anything. Nicole pushed some guy out of her way and knelt down in front of Ryan. "Ryan? Talk to me?" she whispered.

Ryan heard her voice from far away. He felt like he was in shock. The Russian had called, had told him he had made things worse, that the assistant was actually one of theirs too, and that now it was too late to save the kid. He had heard a shot. And only then, seconds later, he had heard Horatio talking to him, telling him Billy was alright. For a mere 10 seconds, Ryan Wolfe's heart had stopped beating. He had lost all his strength and had almost collapsed right where he was standing when he heard the shot. And when finally he had heard Horatio's voice, telling him Billy was safe and this nightmare was over, his legs had refused to carry him any more. He didn't even know if he had answered Horatio, if he had spoken anything on the phone. He just needed to sit down.

"Ryan. Listen, I seriously don't wanna slap you in front of the whole lab, but if you don't answer, I may have to…" Nicole may have sounded annoyed, but her voice told the truth. It was anxious.

Ryan suddenly raised his head, looking at her, "It's over…"

"What…"

"Billy is safe. Horatio saved him. It's over…"

Nicole let out the breath she was holding, "Thank God. When I heard you scream I thought…"

Ryan frowned, "I screamed?"

Nicole smiled, "A bit, yeah. Come on, get up. I dropped my cup in the break room and I need somebody to clean up the mess, and I heard you're good at cleaning." She held her hand out to help Ryan get up.

But he managed alone, "I gotta go see Eric and Calleigh. I still have something to give to them…" The bullet he had picked up at the crime scene this morning. He dreaded coming clear and giving it to them, but it had to be done.

Nicole nodded, "Do you want me to join you?"

Ryan looked at her. Even now that all the danger was gone, she wouldn't leave his side. "Nicole… they still don't know that you know. Well, for all I know they don't know that there is something to know… I mean, they… Okay, look. I'm going in there, and I tell them that I sabotaged their work. But they don't know you were in this, and I'd prefer it to remain like that." He looked at his shoes, "You know, what you did for me to day was more than I expected you to do. It was more than I actually expected would happen. I could have done it alone, maybe, but I'm really glad I didn't have to."

"I didn't do anything, Ryan."

He grinned, "You supported me. You cared. You know… nobody else called tonight when I wasn't answering my phone. You did. When I was… you know where… I was hoping it were Delko who called, because I thought he would notice I was missing. He didn't. You did." He lowered his head, "And the only thing I can do to pay you back is that I keep the heath of off you. I'll do this alone." He looked into her eyes, "Thank you, Nicole. For everything."

She smiled, "Anytime, Ryan."

---

**Okay, there's one more chapter still to go until the end. I hope you liked this one. Thanks for everything**


	5. Chapter 5

**This is the last chapter, but don't worry, a new fic is already in work. I hope you like this as much as you liked the chapters before.**

**Disclaimer: see Chapters 1 and 2  
**

* * *

**Chapter 5**

It was late evening when Ryan staggered home. Now, that all the adrenaline was gone, the pain almost made him scream again. He hardly reached his front door. As soon as he was in his flat, he let himself fall on the bed. _24 hours…._ 24 hours ago the Russian had knocked him down, and he had woken up in this hellhole. And 10 hours ago, he had woken up on the street, thrown out of a car like a piece of trash. And 4 hours ago, he had felt his world tumbling into pieces when he had thought for just a few second that the Russians had killed his young friend. And 2 hours ago, he had said good-bye to Marc and Billy. Billy… The kid was a miracle. Held captive for such a long time, had been almost killed, but he had smiled and he had hugged Ryan. It had been the highlight of his day. He smiled; maybe the kid would recover faster and better than him. He hoped. He so hoped Billy wouldn't have any emotional scars. He sighed and watched his ceiling. Delko and Calleigh had been terrible. But he understood them. He had pondered about telling them what he had gone through and why he had done what he did, but, really, they wouldn't have understood. Well, Delko, maybe. He would have done anything to save Calleigh back when she had been kidnapped. But Calleigh wouldn't. He could have confided in her, she said. She had asked him two times if he was alright, but two times, he had brushed her off. After all, why would she suddenly care? She should go and have fun with her Delko, and leave him alone. He sighed and got up, ignoring the pain in his body. A shower would do him good. This morning, he had showered quickly, only to try and feel a bit like a human being again. Now he would go and take a long, warm shower, as long as he could stand on his two feet. Then, he would take his time and look after his wounds, not patch them up quickly, but take his time and figuring out if he had to see a doctor. He hoped not. Okay, Alexx would help him. But still, he didn't want to bother anyone. One scar more or less…

----

He had just gotten out off the bathroom and had dressed into a comfy shirt and a pair of boxers when there was a soft knock on his front door. He groaned and walked over to it. Glancing through the peephole, he saw it was Nicole. With two pizza boxes on her arm. He shook his head, then opened the door, "I can't really get rid of you today, can I?"

She grinned, "That's your choice. I was just in the neighbourhood, and I thought you could use something to eat. I brought Margherita and Pepperoni. If you want to be alone, just do me a favour: take the pizza and eat it, and I go home."

Ryan leaned against the door frame, "Actually, I think I could use a bit of company now… If you want to?"

"Sure." She got it and put the pizza boxes on his table. "How are you feeling?"

He thought about it, "Relieved. Jaded and hated. Tired. In pain. But I guess mostly relieved." He opened his cupboard and took two plates out. "Delko and Calleigh were furious. They threw me out. I doubt they'll ever talk to me again…"

"Not a great loss, if you ask me…" She frowned, "Seriously, all this love bird behaviour is so annoying…"

"Don't tell me… When we looked through the pictures yesterday, there was one with Calleigh and her horse guy. He was furious!" Ryan grinned when he sat down at the table. "But well, live and let live."

"Yeah. And I don't give a damn. No, that's the Pepperoni."

"And I'm not allowed to eat the pepperoni because…?"

Nicole grinned, "You keep forgetting you tooth, don't you?"

Ryan sighed, "Yeah… Okay, I'll have the Margherita." He took a bite, cautiously. "That tastes good. Thank you."

"Anytime." She took a bite of her pepperoni and then asked, "You wanna talk about it?"

"What?"

"What the Russian did to you?"

Ryan sighed, "I don't know… I mean, I wouldn't be surprised if H. tells me I should see a shrink. But… there are just some things… I mean, it's kinda obvious what he did, isn't it?"

Nicole nodded, "Yes. But I know some scars lie deeper than the eye can see. But okay. You know my number…"

"And you know mine, obviously. Exactly, how did you know something was wrong?" It was one of the questions that had bothered him the whole day.

Nicole shrugged, "You were the one to tell me about female intuition yesterday morning. I guess I have some of it. I know your reputation, and I knew not picking up your phone was not something you would do."

Now it was Ryan's turn to grin, "See, I told you you have that intuition." He hesitated a bit and then asked, "Why didn't you leave? I mean, it's not like we're that good friends that you would feel obliged to stay with me."

Nicole frowned while she chewed on her pizza. Then she said. "I don't know. It felt like the right thing to do. The moment I saw you, I just knew I couldn't turn away and leave. You looked so desperate to me, and still you tried to be strong and not show how much you suffered…" She swallowed a bit, "I just felt you needed a companion. Somebody that would help you. And I am glad I could help you."

"You did more than you know." He bit his lip. Then he remembered something. "I'm sorry I pushed you away this morning… when you wanted to take care of the cut."

She shook her head, "Don't worry, Ryan. I can imagine that… after… you know… you don't wanna be touched. I should have respected that."

"It's just…"

"Ryan." She gave him a smile. "It's okay. You don't need to apologize…" She took one last bite and got up. "I guess I should leave now. It's late, and I don't think you had a lot of sleep last night. You need anything else?"

Ryan shook his head. "I'm fine, thanks…" He walked her to the door. "You're here with your car, I suppose?"

"Sure. Do you think I wander alone through the dark city?" She laughed, and then laid her hand on his shoulder. "Don't hesitate to call me. I'm available 24/7 for you."

Ryan swallowed. His arm started to have a life on its own and laid itself around Nicole's shoulder, pulling her into a careful hug. "I will never forget what you've done for me, Nicole. That's a promise."

Nicole remained silent for a few seconds, her hands resting on his hips. Then she said, "You deserved it, Ryan. Nobody should suffer like you did." She smiled, freed herself from his hug and said, "Good night, Ryan. Sleep well."

He opened the door, whispered a low "You too, Nicole." and closed the door behind her again. Then he walked to his window and looked out of it, making sure she got into her car safe. She did, and a few seconds later, loud music blasted through the street.

Ryan smiled and walked over to his bedroom to go to sleep.

* * *

**The end. I hope you liked it, because I surely enjoyed writing it. I want to thank each and every one of you who have reviewed, especially Orla_Dark, who has been reviewing every chapter. Spasiba****,**

**моя сладкая (I hope this is appropriate) and Jag_Lady, who has been very supporting since I've started writing (thanks so much). Very special thanks go also to my beta and friend, Tia (danke für alles, meine Liebe). And of course thanks to CBS and the writers of this wonderful show, and to Warlock and Doro, whose line "Stronger than a mountain of steel" has inspired me to write this fic like it has turned out. **

**Peace and love to all of you, yours fergie  
**


End file.
